Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Benthic fauna in tropical tidal flats – a comparative perspective

  • Published:
Wetlands Ecology and Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Tidal flats extend seaward from mangrove forests along many tropicalcoastlines. This contribution compiles the current knowledge on tropicaltidal flats with regard to species richness, abundance, spatial distributionpatterns and ecological roles taken by major organisms. Tidal flatsencompass a variety of soft-sediment habitats which are inhabited by aspecies-rich fauna. Species numbers are generally higher than in temperatetidal flats, but vary widely between tropical sites where they have not yetbeen fully assessed due to lack of research and taxonomic problems. Theassessment of biodiversity is further complicated by a low species frequency,the small size of macroinfaunal organisms and variations in the occurrence ofspecies between sites. Mean abundance ranges from 1000–2000individuals m-2, although figures ten times higher have beenrecorded in a mudflat in Costa Rica, and there are great variations in general.Individual densities of small-sized macrofauna are about ten times higher than for larger macrobenthos. A generalized zonation scheme for intertidaldistribution patterns of tropical tidal flat fauna is presented. The comparisonshows that the occurrence of macrofauna and especially of ecosystemengineers varies between sites, which can in turn explain the great variabilityin species abundance patterns recorded in benthic surveys of tidal flatswithin and between regions. This review revealed similarities as well asdifferences between various tropical tidal flats, which underlines the need for further comparative studies to be done, using the same methodology, before generalizations can be made.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acheampong, E. 2001. Distribution of Macrozoobenthos Abundance and Biomass in Intertidal Soft Sediments of North-East Brazil. MSc-Thesis, University of Bremen, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alongi, D.M. 1989. Ecology of tropical soft-bottom benthos: a review with emphasis on emerging concepts. Revista de Biologia Tropical 37: 85–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alongi, D.M. 1990. The ecology of tropical soft-bottom benthic ecosystems. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol., Ann. Rev. 28: 381–496.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, A.J. 1964. The natural history of the shore fauna of North Penang. Malayan Nat. J. 18: 81–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beukema, J.J. 1976. Biomass and species richness of the macrobenthic animals living on the tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Neth. J. Sea Res. 10: 236–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dankers, N. and Beukema, J.J. 1983. Distributional patterns of macrozoobenthic species in relation to some environmental factors. In: Wolff, W.J. (ed.), Ecology of the Wadden Sea. Vol. 1. pp. 69–103. Balkema, Rotterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, J.H. 1974. The ecology of Morrumbene estuary, Moçambique. Trans. Royal Soc. South Afr. 41: 43–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dittmann, S. 1995. Benthos structure on tropical tidal flats of Australia. Helgoländer Meeresunters. 49: 539–551.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dittmann, S. 1996. Effects of macrobenthic burrows on infaunal communities in tropical tidal flats. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 134: 119–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dittmann, S. 2000. Zonation of benthic communities in a tropical tidal flat of north-east Australia. J. Sea Res. 43: 33–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dittmann, S. (in press). Benthic fauna in tropical tidal flats of Hinchinbrook Channel, NE Australia: abundance, distribution and temporal variation. Wetlands Ecology and Management.

  • Dittmann, S. and Vargas, J.A. (2001). Tropical Tidal Flat Benthos Compared Between Australia and Central America. In: Reise, K. (ed.), Ecological Comparisons of Sedimentary Shores. Ecological Studies, Vol. 151. pp. 275–293. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frith, D.W., Tantanasiriwong, R. and Bhatia, O. 1976. Zonation of macrofauna on a mangrove shore, Phuket Island. Phuket Mar. Biol. Cent., Res. Bull. 10: 1–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, P.E. 1978. Macrofauna of the intertidal sand flats on low wooded islands, northern Great Barrier Reef. Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. London, B. 284: 81–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R.G. 1970. Variations in diversity within benthic marine communities. Amer. Nat. 104: 285–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C.G., Lawton, J.H. and Shachak, M. 1994. Organisms as ecosystem engineers. Oikos 69: 373–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macnae, W. and Kalk, M. 1962. The fauna and flora of sand flats at Inhaca Island, Moçambique. J. Animal Ecol. 31: 93–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaelis, H. and Wolff, W.J. (2001). Soft-bottom fauna of a tropical and a temperate intertidal area (Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania – Juist area, German North Sea Coast). In: Reise, K. (ed.), Ecological Comparisons of Sedimentary Shores. Ecological Studies, Vol. 151. pp. 255–274. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Molina, O.A. and Vargas, J.A. 1994. Estructura del macrobentos del estero de Jaltepeque, El Salvador. Revista de Biologia Tropical 42: 165–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, B. and Morton, J. 1983. The Sea Shore Ecology of Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ormond, R.F.G., Gage, J.D. and Angel, M.V. 1997. Marine Biodiversity: Patterns and Processes. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pepping, M., Piersma, T., Pearson, G. and Lavaleye, M. 1999. Intertidal sediments and benthic animals of Roebuck Bay, Western Australia. NIOZ-Report 1999–3, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research.

  • Peterson, C.H. 1991. Intertidal zonation of marine invertebrates in sand and mud. Amer. Sci. 79: 236–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piersma, T., de Goeij, P. and Tulp, I., 1993. An evaluation of intertidal feeding habitats from a shorebird perspective: towards relevant comparisons between temperate and tropical mudflats. Neth. J. Sea Res. 31: 503–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piersma, T., Lavaleye, M., Pearson, G. and Crean, M. unpubl. Anna Plains benthic invertebrate and bird mapping 1999. (NIOZ, unpublished report).

  • Reise, K. 1985. Tidal Flat Ecology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reise, K. 1991. Macrofauna in mud and sand of tropical and temperate tidal flats. In: Elliott, M. and Ducrotoy, J.-P. (eds.), Estuaries and Coasts: Spatial and Temporal Intercomparisons. pp. 211–216. Olsen and Olsen, Fredensborg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricciardi, A. and Bourget, E. 1999. Global patterns of macroinvertebrate biomass in marine intertidal communities. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 185: 21–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, H.L. 1968. Marine benthic diversity: a comparative study. Amer. Nat. 102: 243–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, H.L., Goudsmit, E.M., Mills, E.L. and Hampson, G.E. 1962. A study of the intertidal fauna of Barnstable Harbour, Massachusetts. Limnol. Oceanogr. 7: 63–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sasekumar, A. 1974. Distribution of macrofauna on a Malayan mangrove shore. J. Animal Ecol. 43: 51–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrijvers, J., van Gansbeke, D. and Vincx, M. 1995. Macrobenthic infauna of mangroves and surrounding beaches at Gazi Bay, Kenya. Hydrobiologia 306: 53–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorson, G. 1957. Bottom communities (sublittoral or shallow shelf). Geol. Soc. Amer. 67: 461–534.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vargas, J.A. 1987. The benthic community of an intertidal mud flat in the Golf of Nicoya, Costa Rica. Description of the community. Revista de Biologia Tropical 35: 299–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vargas, J.A. 1996. Ecological dynamics of a tropical intertidal mud-flat community. In: Nordstrom, K.F. and Roman, C.T. (eds.), Estuarine Shores: Evolution, Environments and Human Alterations. pp. 355–371. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., Chichester, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vohra, F.C. 1971. Zonation on a tropical sandy shore. J. Animal Ecol. 40: 679–709.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warwick, R.M. and Ruswahyuni 1987. Comparative study of the structure of some tropical and temperate marine soft-bottom macrobenthic communities. Marine Biol. 95: 641–649.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells, F.E. 1983. An analysis of marine invertebrate distributions in a mangrove swamp in north-western Australia. Bull. Marine Sci. 33: 736–744.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitlatch, R.B. 1977. Seasonal changes in the community structure of the macrobenthos inhabiting the intertidal sand and mud flats of Barnstable Harbor, Massachusetts. Biol. Bull. 152: 275–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wijnsma, G., Wolff, W.J., Meijboom, A., Duiven, P. and De Vlas, J. 1999. Species richnes and distribution of benthic tidal flat fauna of the Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania. Oceanologica Acta 22: 233–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, W.J., Duiven, A.G., Duiven, P., Esselink, P., Gueye, A., Meijboom, A., Moerland, G. and Zegers, J. 1993. Biomass of macrobenthic tidal flat fauna of the Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania. Hydrobiologia 258: 151–163.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie, Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Sabine Dittmann

Authors
  1. Sabine Dittmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dittmann, S. Benthic fauna in tropical tidal flats – a comparative perspective. Wetlands Ecology and Management 10, 189–195 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020119512225

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020119512225

Search

Navigation